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Background: Obesity, a global epidemic, is a major risk factor for diabetes mellitus and cardio vascular diseases. Despite advances, the pharmacotherapy for obesity remains limited. Almost all medications for long term management of obesity have health issues. Due to the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with many antiobesity medicines, the clinical trials are focussing on screening herbal medicines for use in the treatment of obesity, which have minimal ADRs.Methods: Rats were divided into eight groups of six each. The rats were first made obese by feeding high fat diet (HFD) for three weeks. Then treatment with the herbal extracts was given simultaneously with the HFD to the experimental groups. Rats were fed HFD for six weeks along with herbal extracts and the effect on their liver function test and kidney function test were evaluated.Results: The rats fed HFD and supplemented with herbal preparations of Triphala and G. cambogia for six weeks, showed significant improvement in liver function test and kidney function test related parameters as compared to the control group rats fed with HFD alone.Conclusions: Triphala and G. cambogia can counter the effects of HFD intake and have the potential for use as anti-obesity agents with desirable liver function test and kidney function test related parameters modulating properties.
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Background: Obesity, occurring at epidemic rates globally, is a major risk factor for DM and CVD. Despite advances in understanding its pathogenesis, the pharmacotherapy for obesity remains limited for achievable weight loss, safety and tolerability of the medicines. Almost all approved medications for long term use in obesity treatment result in health issues. Due to the ADRs associated with many antiobesity drugs, the drug trials have focused on screening herbal medicines that are reportedly used in the treatment of obesity and which have minimal side effects.Methods: In this study rats were divided into eight groups of six rats each. In the first approach, the rats were first made obese by feeding HFD for three weeks. In the second, treatment with the herbal extracts was given simultaneously with the HFD to the experimental rats. Rat were fed HFD for six weeks along with treatment of herbal extracts and the effect on their body weight, daily food intake and lipid-profile were evaluated.Results: Results showed that rats fed HFD for a six week period, supplemented with herbal preparations of triphala and G. cambogia presented with significant reduction in body weight, energy intake, and improved the lipid-profile as compared to the rats fed with HFD group.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that triphala and G. cambogia can counter the effects of HFD intake and have the potential for use as antiobesity agents with desirable body weight, food intake, fluid intake, and lipid-profile modulating properties.
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Background: Myocardial Infarction (MI) is a leading disease globally. Major risk factors for MI are smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, reactive oxygen species (ROS), obesity, coronary artery disease (CAD) and abnormally altered blood lipid levels. It is recommended that for healthy living the risk factors for CAD and ROS should be less. Consumption of natural food supplements rich in antioxidants and polyphenols reduce the risk of MI. One herb is Pomegranate. Pomegranate is polyphenols and antioxidants rich fruit. This prompted us to find out whether the presence of antioxidants in pomegranate offers any prognostic benefits in patients with MI?.Methods: Pomegranate Extract of Whole Fruit (PEWF) was prepared as tablet of 300mg to investigate its effects in patients with MI. Total 100 participants were included in the trial. Participants were assigned to two groups of 50 each. One group received “Add On” PEWF and other got matching placebo of same colour, shape and size as comparator agent in the dose of 300mg BD for 1 month.Results: Results were compared by Z test, Chi square test and coefficient of variations. Statistical analysis proves the prognostic effect after active medication (p<0.05). Study results indicate the rejection of Null Hypothesis (H0) and acceptance of Alternative Hypothesis (H1).Conclusions: Our findings suggest that consumption of antioxidant and polyphenols rich food supplements such as PEWFs for one month reduces the risk factors for CAD.
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Background: Diabetes Mellitus Type-2(T2D); is a leading disease in world wide. T2D is a clinical syndrome characterized by hyperglycaemia. Hyperglycemias are caused by an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin and due to insulin resistance. Diabetic patients are highly prone to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and leads to Cardio vascular complications. Several medicines have been recommended to cure T2D; and still discovery of newer drugs are in process. Now a day, the focus of researches in diabetes includes discovery of newer anti-diabetic agents as well as isolating the active compounds from herbal sources. One such herbal source is pomegranate. Pomegranate is polyphenols and antioxidants rich fruit; which has potency to cure T2D and ROS.Methods: A Pomegranate Extract of Whole Fruit (PEWF) was prepared as tablet of 300mg to investigate its effects in patients with T2D. Total 40 participants of either gender with nested cases of T2D with Myocardial Infarction (MI) were included in study. All participants were assigned in two groups (20 each). One group was under “Add On” therapy of PEWF and matching placebos of same colour, shape and size were used as comparator agent for second group (300mg BD for 1 month).Results: Levels of biochemical markers related to T2D were compared to analysed pre and post drug effects by Z test, chi square test and by coefficient of variations. Results highlighted that those participants who were under “add-on” therapy of PEWF showed highly prognostic significance. Thus, PEWF should be consumed in diet as food supplementation.Conclusions: In conclusion, polyphenols and antioxidants rich fruit supplements should be taken in diet for healthy living.
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Sterilized ethanol extract of turmeric in petroleum jelly gauze was used topically in 306 patients of superficial burns which were compared with petroleum jelly gauze application at another burn site in same patient thereby providing advantage of self-controls. On third day of the application of turmeric, the burn wounds were found clinically clean and healthy, without any apparent infection in 52% as compared to 16% in control sites. With turmeric a clean, healthy and dry area was seen, which was less pronounced in control wounds. On day 11 of the therapy, 16% of turmeric sites showed signs of wound infection as against 82% of control sites. The swab culture correlated well with the clinical findings. With the use of turmeric the healing was rapid, with good epithelialization.
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Anxiety is a cardinal symptom of many psychiatric disorders and an inevitable component of many medical and surgical conditions. It is a universal human emotion, closely allied with appropriate fear presumably serving psycho biologically adaptive purposes. Anxiety is a normal emotional behaviour. When it is severe and/or chronic, it becomes pathological and can precipitate or aggravate cardiovascular and psychiatric disorders. Although many drugs are available in allopathic medicine to treat anxiety disorders, they produce various systemic side effects. Gallic acid has been identified as active ingredient found in gall nuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves and oak bark. In the present study, we have attempted to evaluate the anti-anxiety- activity of Gallic acid in rats by employing, elevated plus maze and bright and dark arena. The rats were divided into five groups, each group containing six animals. The effects of the test drug Gallic acid (at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg doses),the standard anxiolytic, diazepam (1.0 mg/kg) and control group 14% Dimethyl sulfoxide(10ml/kg) were assessed after repeated doses administration for ten days. The results suggest that, Gallic acid exhibited anxiolytic like activity comparable to diazepam.
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The World Health Organisation has called for the ethical promotion of medicines. This study to monitor the misuse of the WHO name and emblem in medicine promotion in India found that the name or emblem of WHO has been used extensively for unethical promotion of drugs, nutritional supplements and consumer products in India. This unethical promotion is evident in advertisements, pharmaceutical indices and other publicity material.
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Deception , Emblems and Insignia , Health Promotion/methods , India , World Health OrganizationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The price and availability of medicines are key components in determining access to effective treatment. Data on prices and availability of common medicines in public and private sector in different States of India are scarce. Hence, surveys were undertaken in different States of India to evaluate these metrics. METHODS: During October 2004 to January 2005, six surveys were undertaken simultaneously in five States of India to assess medicine prices and availability of essential medicines (n = 21-28) using the World Health Organization and Health Action International methodology. Surveys were conducted at Chennai, Haryana, Karnataka, West Bengal, and at two sites in Maharashtra. For each medicine, data were collected for the Innovator Brand (IB), Most Sold Generic (MSG), and Lowest Priced Generic (LPG) at randomly selected public and private facilities in each site surveyed. Prices were compared to an international reference benchmark (expressed as median price ratio - MPR). RESULTS: The procurement price of medicines in the public sector was 0.27 to 0.48 times the international reference price. However, these medicines were inadequately available and the median availability in the public sector ranged from 0 to 30 per cent. The median prices of medicines in the private sector were less than twice the IRP, although a few innovator brands were more expensive. No difference was observed between the prices of the most sold generic (MSG) and the lowest priced generic (LPG) available at the facilities. Interestingly, price variation was observed among different generic equivalents of ciprofloxacin in each region. The price of LPG diazepam in the private sector was thirty three times its procurement price in the public sector. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The survey revealed low procurement prices and poor availability in the public sector. Thus, the majority of the population purchased medicines from private pharmacies, where generics were usually available although prices of certain medicines were high. Various policy measures could increase the availability and accessibility of medicines for the population.